This invention relates to protective liners for the inside sweatband area of helmets, hats, caps and similar headgear and more particularly to a protective liner which is disposable.
Hats, caps and similar headgear are commonly provided with sweatbands lining the lower inside portion of the headgear in order to prevent the head of the user from directly contacting the material of the hat or cap. Such sweatbands are rarely completely effective in preventing moisture from migrating into the material of the hat or cap itself. Such headgear, unless constructed of moisture impervious materials such as solid plastic as would be true of a protective helmet, are likely to become rapidly stained by sweat, oil, grease and dirt and thus rendered unattractive. A stained hat or cap may thus be discarded well before the end of its useful lifetime. It is, therefore, desirable to have additional means for protecting a hat or cap from the migration of moisture and other contaminants through the sweatband into the material of the hat or cap.
It is known in the prior art to provide a disposable liner to be placed on or behind the sweatband to provide an additional barrier to the migration of moisture and contaminants into the material of the hat or cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,504 issued to Benston, et al. on Jun. 25, 1991 for "Liner For A Helmet, Hat, Cap Or Other Head Covering" discloses a liner for head coverings having a body with a central section and tapered end sections. The body includes liquid absorbing material and is releasably secured to the head covering. The liners of Benston are formed with a core of fibers, including thermoplastic fibers, sandwiched between facing and backing sheets. The sections of the liner allow the liner to be cut in transverse segments to adjust its length.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,736 issued to Dootson on May 18, 1971 for "Hat And Sweatband Insert Therefor" discloses a sweatband insert having a moisture absorbent face portion and a moisture impervious back portion with an upstanding central member. The central member provides a grasping portion for easy insertion of the insert behind the sweatband and also exposes a portion of the liner to facilitate the evaporation of moisture from the liner.
Similar disposable inserts or liners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,445,209 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,356.
Although these and other examples are known in the prior art of disposable liners for head coverings, the need exists for an improved form of disposable liner which further facilitates the protective function of the liner by encouraging the transportation of contaminant containing moisture away from the hat or cap and which further embodies ease of manufacture and use.